Baseball season is in the air! The Pirates opened their 2009 exhibition season with a 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Here are the game highlights:

*Freddy Sanchez: 2-2, RBI double
*2B Shelby Ford (2006 3rd round pick) 3-run HR
*A total of nine Pittsburgh relief pitchers combined to hold the Phillies to 2 runs, while striking out eight
*Steve Pearce RBI double
*Rule 5 pick Donnie Veal: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
*Craig Hansen: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
*Evan Meek: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Tomorrow: Pirates play the Red Sox. Ian Snell is expected to start against Boston's Jon Lester. Ross Ohlendorf, Jimmy Barthmaier, Denny Bautista and Sean Burnett are also scheduled to pitch.